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2nd CALL FOR PROPOSALS
February 2018
1
Index
Introduction to IBEC and Bioengineering Excellence Scientific Training (BEST) ............ 2
Why apply for BEST Fellowship? ............................................................................................. 4
Who can apply? .......................................................................................................................... 6
How to apply? ............................................................................................................................. 7
Selection and evaluation criteria .............................................................................................. 9
a) The selection process .................................................................................................... 9
b) Criteria for the selection of fellows ............................................................................. 11
c) Request for redress ...................................................................................................... 12
d) Acceptance of the fellowship ...................................................................................... 12
Ethical issues ............................................................................................................................ 13
Calendar..................................................................................................................................... 14
Contact details .......................................................................................................................... 15
Annexes / Templates ............................................................................................................... 15
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Introduction to IBEC and Bioengineering Excellence Scientific Training (BEST)
The Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) is a leading-edge
multidisciplinary research centre based in Barcelona that conducts excellent
interdisciplinary research at the frontiers of engineering and life sciences in order to
generate new knowledge by putting together fields like nanomedicine, biophysics,
biotechnology, tissue engineering and the applications of health information technology.
The Programme in Bioengineering Excellence Scientific Training (BEST) aims to
attract experienced international researchers in the areas of Nanomedicine, Cell
Engineering and ICT for Health, the three research flagships at IBEC.
The expertise encompassed by each flagship is as follows:
• Nanomedicine: nanobiosensing; microfluidics; nanofabrication using soft
lithographies and related techniques; beyond-AFM/ST microscopy tools to
characterize biological samples at the nanoscale; drug delivery; nano-scale
characterization of bacterial-host interactions; organ/lab-on-chip tehcnologies;
nanorobotics; nanoscopy.
• Cell Engineering: biomaterials for regenerative medicine; reprogramming stem
cells; control differentiation of stem cells; rapid prototyping for biomaterials; cell-
material interaction; biomimetics; microencapsulation for antibacterials and
other therapeutic agents; mechanobiology protocols and their translation to
clinical purposes; cellular and molecular biology; antibacterial strategies.
• ICT for Health: application of advanced information and communication
technologies to healthcare, such as modelling; signalling processing;
automatics/control software for robotics; imaging; robotics for minimally
invasive surgery.
IBEC currently has 20 research groups and around 300 researchers and staff from 31
different countries. The location of IBEC in the Parc Científic de Barcelona offers a highly
stimulating biomedical environment in which the institute can work closely with
organisations from the public and private sector interested in the biomedical application
of nanotechnology.
IBEC is part of a new wave of research initiatives set up in the last decade, with shared
interests and points of view concerning how to advance the frontiers of knowledge in
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experimental science to benefit clinical and biomedical research. The common
denominator shared by these new initiatives is their focus on the enormous challenge of
how to make life science quantitative on any scale, taking full advantage of the
unprecedented power of the convergence between nano, bio and ICT.
IBEC is one of the top research institutions labelled as a Severo Ochoa Research Centre
by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (in charge of research and
innovation policies), which recognizes excellence at the highest international level in
terms of research, training, human resources, outreach and technology transfer.
IBEC was awarded, in recognition of its commitment to continuously improving its HR
policies in line with the recognition and awarding of the ‘Human Resources Excellence
in Research’ from the European Commission, and according to the requirements of The
European Charter of Researchers and The Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of
Researchers (Charter and Code) 1. IBEC has set up an international, transparent, equal-
opportunities recruitment procedure to select the most qualified researchers for the
BEST programme.
The BEST Postdoctoral Programme provides exceptional training opportunities for
up to 24 high-potential fellows (in 2 calls of 12 positions per call), with a 2-year
contract at IBEC and funded interdisciplinary and intersectoral placements at world-
class research centres, hospitals and companies within IBEC’s global network of
collaborating institutions. Fellows will be hosted within an IBEC research group or the
group of an IBEC associated researcher, where they will develop their own research
project.
The BEST Programme is a postdoctoral fellowship scheme part funded by the European
Commission under Horizon 2020’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions COFUND scheme
(GA 712754) and the Severo Ochoa programme of the Spanish Ministry of Science and
Competitiveness (SEV-2014-0425 (2015-2019)).
1 http://ibecbarcelona.eu/humanresourcesstrategy
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Why apply for BEST Fellowships?
The BEST Postdoctoral Programme is a great opportunity to acquire international
experience while boosting research and career development skills.
Fellows will be hosted within an IBEC research group or the group of an IBEC associated
researcher, where they will develop their own research project.
The research contract will include the following conditions:
• Fellows will be offered a 2-year contract with full security coverage for the
performance of a research project. Researchers are assured according to
the Spanish Social Security system during the term of their employment
contract. Full security coverage includes health and accident insurance,
pension plan and unemployment benefits. Provisions for annual and sickness
leave will follow Spanish regulation and the internal policy of IBEC.
• Annual living and mobility allowances: the amount that the researcher will
receive is 32.572€ yearly gross salary with full security coverage, which
includes health and accident insurance, pension and unemployment benefits.
Annual Family allowance: Beyond that, researchers coming to Barcelona with
their families (persons linked by marriage or a relationship with equivalent status
to marriage or dependent children being maintained by the researcher) will
receive an annual family allowance of 1.817€. In this case, the amount that
the researcher will receive is 34.389€ yearly gross salary. The family status of
a researcher will be determined at the beginning of their contract and will not be
revised during the lifetime of the action. Additionally, at the end of the 2-year
labour contract, researchers will receive indemnities according to Spanish
labour law.
• 23 working days of paid holidays and 9 leave days for personal matters yearly.
• Measures to reconcile work and family life: Maternity and paternity leave (16
weeks), leave for breastfeeding (14 days or 1 hour/day during 9 months),
telecommuting, shorter hours for guardianship or leave to care for children and
relatives.
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• Additionally, 9.600€ have been annually allocated for research & training
activities, including complementary training programme to develop non-
scientific skills useful to improve fellow’s career development. These funds will
be managed by IBEC.
In order to offer BEST fellows the highest quality of research and training options, we
have assembled a network of partner organizations that covers at an international
level all scientific and technological expertise related to research fields offered to BEST
fellows at IBEC: Cell Engineering, Nanomedicine and ICT for Health. Moreover, the
network includes stakeholders from all three sectors involved in biomedical research:
academia, clinicians and industry.
The fellows will have the opportunity to stay up to 3 months of their 2 year contract at
IBEC at other international/intrasectorial institutions. Stays will be funded by the BEST
programme.
The global network of collaborating institutions includes 16 research centres and
universities, 5 hospitals and 11 companies from 13 countries (Australia, Belgium,
Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Korea, Singapore, Spain, United
Kingdom, USA) in 4 different continents (Europe, America, Asia, Australia).
The hosting institutions for BEST fellows will not be restricted to the current list of Partner
Organisations. Depending on the needs of BEST fellows, more organizations could be
added.
Each BEST fellow will prepare a Personal Development Plan (PDP) to identify both
professional development needs and career objectives. The main objective of PDP will
be to qualify them to access to high level positions in academia or industry with a strong
component of management and leadership. Special care will be taken to ensure that the
PDP fulfil the needs of the current employment market. Based on the PDPs of Best
fellows, a personal training plan will be designed, defining suitable stays and
complementary training on Leadership and management skills, Innovation skills,
Communication skills; Outreach and Responsible Research and Innovation.
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Research fellows will have the possibility to attend the Mentoring Programme, a 12
month scheme with a minimum of 6 meetings. The aims of the programme is not only a
source for career advice and door opening for young researchers starting on the
professional ladder, but also provide a safe space to discuss broader professional
development.
A Training Plan will be yearly defined and implemented according to the different
professional categories and their training necessities. Specific training workshops will be
offered to the participants in BEST Programme.
IBEC Human Resources Unit will offer administrative assistance from the date of
researcher’s acceptance and during their entire stay at IBEC, particularly on legal
matters, visa, health insurance, relocation and local regulations. The Human Resources
Unit aims to facilitate some of the processes involved in the settlement phase
experienced by researchers, including those who bring family members.
Who can apply?
In order to be eligible, candidates have to accomplish with the following requirements:
• Candidates must have been awarded a PhD degree prior to the publication
date of the final list of selected candidates (September 3rd 2018) .
• Candidates are eligible for a period of 5 years following the award of the PhD
degree at the publication date of the final list of selected candidates (September
3rd 2018). This limit will be extended in situations of documented career breaks
such as maternity/paternity leave (up to 12 months per child), sick leave, forced
displacement due to armed conflicts and military service for the necessary
duration. Should an applicant hold more than one doctoral degree, this period
will be counted from the first degree earned.
• Candidates of all nationalities are eligible. However, if they have resided or
worked in Spain for more than 12 months in the 3 years prior to the publication
date of the final list of selected candidates (September 3rd 2018), they are not
eligible. Short stays, such as holidays, will not be taken into account.
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Please note that for refugees under the Geneva Convention, the refugee
procedure (i.e. before refugee status is conferred) will not be counted as ‘period
of residence/activity’ in Spain.
• Candidates must be first author on at least one peer-reviewed publication
at the time of the call deadline (April 30th 2018).
• Candidates must have an excellent command of English language.
Candidates are allowed to apply for only one fellowship, as the fellowship cannot
be held simultaneously with other fellowships of any kind. In this sense, fellows are
expected to work regularly on their research project and regularly attend related
scientific events which implies full time dedication to the fulfillment of the research
project. Other responsibilities than research, such as teaching, if minimal, can be
carried out.
How to apply? Applications must be submitted from February 1st until April 30th 2018 at 5pm
(Central European Time – CET) through the online application platform available in the
IBEC website: https://careers.ibecbarcelona.eu/
Applicants will need:
• To register in the BEST online application platform and create a new account.
• To fill in all the sections. Only full applications submitted by the call deadline will be
evaluated.
• To submit all required documents in the application section, applicants should:
• Complete the Curriculum Vitae with a full list of publications, years dedicated to
research, conferences, projects, awards, mobility, tech transfer and teaching
activities.
• Submit a motivation letter with a declaration of interests to apply for the
fellowship.
• Select one of the three IBEC areas that may be of interest: Nanomedicine, Cell
Engineering and ICT for Health.
• Indicate the research group in which he/she would like to work.
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• To write a proposal of a prospective research project to be carried out. The
applicants have to contact the Group Leader or Associated researcher of their
choice in order to discuss their research project with them. The project should have a
maximum length of 6 pages plus references and should be written using the template
downloadable at the https://careers.ibecbarcelona.eu/ (See Annex I).
Projects involving more than one research group are welcome, but a main supervisor at
IBEC must be designated.
• The BEST ethical issues table (template provided in the online application platform),
where any ethical issues arisen from their research proposal, should be pointed out and
along with details about how they will be addressed to comply with Horizon2020 ethical
principles.
• To submit the Certificate or official notification of the award of each academic
degree (BSc, MSc and PhD), where the date on which the degree was earned appears.
If the documents uploaded to the online application platform were issued in a language
other than English, a translation into English should be attached.
When so required, the chosen candidates should accredit, through original documents
or certified photocopies of them, the files attached to the applications. Likewise, IBEC
could ask them for the original certificates for any information mentioned in their
curriculum vitae.
• To indicate the contact details of the two referees that will support their application.
Each referee will receive an email with a link where they will be able to upload the letter
in PDF format on the online application platform. It is responsibility of the candidates to
ensure that both references are received by the submission deadline of April 30th 2018.
Only applications submitted through the online application platform will be considered as
eligible. Only full applications submitted by the call deadline will be evaluated (including
the reception of the reference letters).
Proposals submitted online can be resubmitted as many times as needed before the
deadline (April 30th 2018).
Once an application is submitted, the candidate will receive automatically an
acknowledgement of receipt together with an application reference number.
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All personal data requested by IBEC from applicants will be treated in accordance with
the principals of Spanish Personal Data Protection Act (LOPD, 15/1999).
Selection and evaluation criteria
a) The selection process
The selection process is organized in four stages and will last 3 months, starting on May
1st 2018 until July 31st 2018.
The publication date of the final results will be on September 3rd 2018.
Candidates should meet the requirements set at each stage to proceed onto the next.
All candidates will be informed by e-mail at the end of each evaluation Stage:
Stage I: Eligibility check
Candidates' compliance with the minimum eligibility requirements will be verified by an
Eligibility committee composed of senior officers from the Institute´s Support Units (led
by the Head of Human Resources). The eligibility will be checked on the basis of the
information provided by the applicant.
Only candidates who meet all eligibility criteria will be included in the evaluation stage.
Stage II: Evaluation of CV and research proposal
The evaluation will be performed by three panels of experts, according to IBEC’s
research areas (Nanomedicine, Cell Engineering and ICT for Health). Each panel will be
chaired by a member of IBEC´s International Scientific Committee (ISC). Two additional
international external experts in the reference area chosen by the chair will complete
each panel.
• Candidates´ CV will be resolved on scientific achievements and research
merits based. Each evaluator will give a score to the CV between 0 a 5 based
on the evaluation criteria.
• Candidates´ research proposal will be resolved following the evaluation criteria.
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CVs and research projects will be evaluated by the respective Evaluation Panel, first
independently by each reviewer, and finally at a consensus meeting for each panel. Each
application will receive a consensus score that will allow to establish a final ranking for
the results of the evaluation of CV and research project.
Stage III: Interviews of final candidates
Short-listed candidates (regardless of their chosen research area) will be invited for a
videoconference interview. These interviews will be conducted by a Selection
committee composed by the 3 chairs of the 3 evaluation panels, an independent expert
from one of the three panels that evaluated the CV and the research proposal, the
Director of IBEC, also as a Secretary, and the Head of Human Resources.
During the interview competencies such as Communication skills; Teamwork; Time
management; Proactivity; Autonomy; Adaptability; Mentoring; Self-career management;
Analytical and critical thinking; Integrity or Leadership will be evaluated.
The interview will be an opportunity for the candidate to expose any personal
requirement or clarify doubts.
Stage IV: Final decision
The final decision will be taken in a consensus meeting of the Selection committee.
Final candidates will be ranked according to the weightings of the scores in stage II and
stage III.
A reserve list of candidates will be identified. In case that one or more final candidates
withdraw, they will be replaced by the candidates in the reserve list, following the
Selection Committee priority order.
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b) Criteria for the selection of fellows
Five criteria will be used in evaluating the candidates:
1. Researcher’s CV
2. Quality of research
3. Impact
4. Feasibility of the project
5. Interview.
Evaluation criteria are divided into sub-criteria:
Evaluation of
CV – Phase II
Evaluation of research proposal – Phase II Interview –
Phase III Quality Impact Feasibility
Research
experience
Interdisciplinary
and
multidisciplinary
approach
Potential of
acquiring skills in
terms of career
development
Complementarity
between research
proposal and IBEC’s
research expertise
and interests
Presentation
and
communication
skills
Research results Clarity of research
methodology
Ability to attract
collaborative
partners and create
a long-term network
(both with
academia/industry)
Appropriateness of
the workplan
(regarding calendar,
milestones… etc.) to
achieve the proposal
objectives
Leadership skills
Interdisciplinary
approach
Originality of the
project
Contribution to
European
excellence and
competitiveness
through transfer of
knowledge
Independent
thinking and other
skills
Relevance of the
proposal in relation
to state of the art
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Evaluation scores will be awarded for each of the four criteria, but not for the sub-criteria.
However, sub-criteria will be considered by evaluators in the assessment of each
criterion.
Evaluation criterion CV Quality Impact Feasibility Interview
Threshold 4/5 3/5 3/5 3/5 3/5
Weighting (%) 40 20 20 10 10
Priority in case of
ex aequo 1 2 3 4 5
Threshold: In each Selection Stage, candidates will have to reach the minimum threshold
to go to the following stage. In addition, an overall threshold of 18/25 is stablished to be
selected or included in the reserve list.
c) Request for redress
After receiving the results of each evaluation stage, candidates will be allowed to inquire
a request for redress by sending a written request within two weeks to
Evaluation panels in each selection stage will study each case. The redress procedure
will look at procedural shortcomings and into possible errors, not against evaluation
panel decisions or experts ratings and comments. The outcome of the redress procedure
will be a report with motivation of rejection or a letter informing about the reincorporation
to the selection process.
The outcome of the redress will be sent to applicants within the next 10 days from the
reception of the request for redress.
d) Acceptance of the fellowship
In September 2018 the first 12 ranked candidates will be asked to sign an acceptance
letter and will have to start the fellowship between October 1st and December 31st.
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Ethical issues
The BEST programme will take into account both the need to ensure freedom of research
for the participating fellows and the need to develop projects in the interest of the physical
and moral integrity of individuals.
Thorough ethical review is an integral part of all scientific research and is needed, not
only to respect the legal framework, but also to enhance the quality of research. Ethical
review of all proposals will be done in line with Horizon 2020 guidance on research ethics
and is mandatory for all applications.
Within IBEC, all research activities respect fundamental ethical principles, as well as
national legislation, relevant EU legislation and standards, international conventions and
directives, and the opinions of the European Group on Ethics and Protection of Animals
(e.g. 99/167/EC: Council Decision of 25/1/99 and EC Directive 86/609). These principles
include the need to ensure the freedom of research and the need to protect the physical
and moral integrity of individual and the welfare of animals. National and local
committees that judge the ethical aspects of the intended experiments have to give their
explicit approval before any experiment starts.
During the application stage, candidates will be required to fill in the online application
platform the Ethical Issues Table (see Annex II) and if any ethical issues arise, the
proposal will be subject to a complete Ethics screening that will assess the ethical
implication for the propose research and assess whether they have been appropriately
addressed in the work plan.
When needed, the applicant, with the support from the project manager of the research
groups where they will be placed, will prepare all ethics-related documents mandatory
under EU or national legislation and apply for the approval of the corresponding Ethics
Committee.
Such documents will be submitted to the REA before starting any ethically sensitive
experiment.
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Calendar
Second call:
• February 1st 2018: Launch of the call
• April 30th 2018: Deadline for submission of applications
• May 2nd – 11th 2018: Eligibility check
• May 14th – July 6th 2018: Evaluation of CVs and research proposals
• July 16th - 20th 2018: Videoconference interviews of final candidates
• September 3rd 2018: Publication of final results
• October 1st – December 31st 2018: Start of fellowships
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Contact details
Human Resources, IBEC
Parc Científic de Barcelona (PCB)
Edifici Clúster
c/ Baldiri Reixac 10-12
08028 Barcelona
Tel. +34 934020563 / +34934031144
Annexes / Templates
Annex I: Research proposal template
Annex II: Ethical Issues table
